The new bridge at Stockingfield Junction on Lochburn Road (Image: Scottish Canals)

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Scottish Canals has been given the green light to build a new bridge over the Forth and Clyde Canal, near Maryhill, for pedestrians and cyclists.

The public body will erect the bridge at Stockingfield Junction on Lochburn Road as part of a plan to connect communities to town centres, encourage healthy living and active travel and provide safer routes to facilities and schools by reducing exposure to traffic.

This bridge plan replaces a project commissioned in 2008, which saw a team including The Kelpies sculptor Andy Scott come up with a design.

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However, due to funding issues, that proposal did not progress to full planning.

The new “scheme has been refined to place greater emphasis upon the connectivity of the north, west and Ruchill embankments whilst creating a destination setting upon the Ruchill area of the canal”, a planning report stated.

“The new crossing will allow pedestrians, runners, cyclists and people making every day journeys along the canal to cross over the canal rather than having to negotiate the existing Lochburn Road footways under the canal aqueduct which are sub-standard and potentially hazardous".

The current access under the viaduct is unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists (Image: Scottish Canals)

Scottish Canals hopes another benefit of the scheme will be an open-air space for the Gilshochill, Ruchill and Maryhill communities, in addition to towpath and canal users, to enjoy.

“The purpose of the crossing is to reconnect the existing towpath that was severed following the construction of the Bowling branch of the canal in the late 18th Century,” the planning statement added.

“The bridge structure has evolved from the previous submission due to economic constraints and feedback from local communities.

An artist's impression of how the new bridge will look (Image: Scottish Canals)

“The sculpture element has been removed and a less imposing but fully integrated pylon observation deck designed to promote enhanced active travel of the canal, towpaths and the site was developed".

This bridge has been designed in discussion with Historic Environment Scotland to avoid impact on the canal, an “industrial monument of national importance”.The canal was reopened in 2002 through the Millennium Link Project, which included The Falkirk Wheel.